christensen



M. CHRISTENSEN.

STITCHER DRIVE AND CONTROL MECHANISM.

- APPLICATION FILED MAY 1:. 191a.

1,83%,593. Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

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M. CHRISTENSEN. S-TITCHER DRIVE AND CONTROL MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED MAYH, I918;

PatentedSept. 2,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M. CHRISTENSEN.

STITCHER DRIVE AND CONTROL- MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. 191B.

QM & h r Km m F m M m F 1 1 I I l I lllll lll r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN CHRISTENSEN, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIG-NOR TO CHRISTENSEN MACHINE COMPANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

Application filed May 11, 1918. Serial No. 233,952.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN CHRISTENSEN,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stitcher Drive and Control Mechanism, of Which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The invention relates to book-stitching or book-binding machines and more particularly to the mechanism for controlling and operating the stitchers.

One object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the operation of the stitching mechanism unless a book is presented under the stitchers.

A further object of the invention is to provide operating mechanism which pennits adjustment of the'stitchers with respect to each other so as to provide for stitching books of different widths or lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide adjusting means for the stitchers operating mechanism so that the stitchers can take care of books of different thickness.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for holding the signatures during the stitching operation.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described:

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view through a book-stitching machine showing an. end view of the machines embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device embodying the invention, parts belng broken away.

Fig. 3 is a front view, parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a rear view, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a section taken On the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Book-stitching machines usually comprise in operative combination a signature alining device, means for feeding the signatures from the alining device to, beneath, and past the stitchers, mechanism for operating the stitchers, and means for delivering the books from the machine. The present invention is directed to the mechanism for controlling and operating the stitchers and consequently the other parts forming the complete machine have not been shown. The machine herein shown is a saddle type machine in which the signatures are carried along the saddle.

Each stitcher 7 in connection with which this invention is used is of usual construction including a staple former and driver, which reciprocates within the stitchers and which has an extension 8, a feed control member which controls the length of wire fed to the stapler and which has an extension 9, and the usual clencher mechanism 10 disposed within the supporting table 11 and havlng a reciprocating clencher actuating bar 12. As the interior construction of the stitcher 7 forms no part of the present invention the same has not been shown and will not be described but the invention relates to the mechanism for operating and controlling the staple former and driver through connection with the extension 8, mechanism for adjusting the feed control through a connection with the extension 9 to accommodate books of different thickness, means for adjusting the stitchers with respect to each other to accommodate books of different lengths, and mechanism for operating the clencher.

The means for adjusting the stitchers 7 with respect to each other consists of a supporting frame bar 18 secured to the machine frame 14 and having a T-slot 15 therein for receiving a T-head 16 secured to the casing of each stitcher 7. The extensions 8 of the stitchers 7 are adjustablv mounted in a longitudinally extending slot or guideway 17 in a bar 18 and the extensions 9 of said stitchers are adjustably mounted in a longitudinally extending slot or guideway 19 in a bar 20. Thus the stitchers 7 are longitudinally movable in the slots in the bars 13, 18 and 20 whereby the stitchers. may be adjusted longitudinally of the table and with respect to each other to accommodate books of different lengths. The clencher mechanisms 10 are each arljustably mounted in the table by means of clamping screws 10 movable in a longitudinally extending slot 11 in the table 11 so that said clencher mechanism may be alincd with the stapler or stitcher in its adjusted position,

has

The mechanism for operating the staple former and drlver consists of levers 21 pivotally secured at one of their ends to the ends of the bar 18, secured intermediate their ends upon a shaft 22 and pivotally connect 7 tion of the bar 18. The means for oscillating the'levers 21 consists of a crank 25 secured to the shaft 22, a connecting rod 26 pivotally secured to the free end of said crank and carrying an eccentric strap 27 said eccentric 28 in driving relation with the shaft 29.

The bar 20 is secured near its ends to levers 30 which are pivotally secured at their other ends to hearing shafts 31 carried by the frame 14, see Fig. 1. These levers 30 are pivotally secured intermediate their ends to cranks 32 loosely mounted on the. shaft 22. This shaft 22 is journaled in arms 3'3 forming cranks carried by a sleeve shaft 34 which ismounted upon an eccentric shaft 35 journaled in the frame 14. Under normal conditions the shafts 35 and 34 are secured together to rock in the journal bearing for the shaft 35. However these shafts 34 and 35 may be turned with respect to each other by means of a knurled hand wheel or knob 36. By turning this wheel 36 the turning, of the eccentric shaft 35 in the sleeve shaft 34 permits a raising cr lowering of the shaft 22 and as the levers 21 carrying the bar 18 and the cranks 32 and levers 30 Furthermoresince the Shafts 3'5 n 4: rock. together in the bearing for the shaft 35 and consequently ermit a slight rockingmovement of the arms 33 forming bearings for the shaft 22 and this movement together with the movement of the compensating cranks 24 causes-the bar 18 to reciprocate in substantially astraight line during the v I rocking of -.the shaft 222by the eccentric 28 and its connection. With this construction there will of course be a slight oscillatory vmovement of. the levers .30 but said movement will not' appreciably .afiect the feed control member of the stitcher. I a

The mechanism for operating the clenchersconsists'of. a lon tudinally' extending I rockplate 37 provided with'a longitudinally ext nding groove 38, in which the'ends ofthe actuating bars 12 areladjustably disposed, and secured to a rock shaft 39 mounted in the table and carrying a crank 40' 'of the revolution of the shaft 29 and this through the rod 41, crank 40, shaft 39 and plate 37 vertically reciprocates the clencher actuating bars 12 to cause the clenching of the staple which has just been formed and below it with its lower end normally disposed in a longitudinally extending slot 47 in the table 11, a clutch for connecting and disconnecting the eccentric 28 in driving relation with the shaft 29, and means controlled by the dog 46 for controlling the clutch.

Referring to Figs. 1, 4 and 6- it will be observed that the eccentric 28 is loosely mounted on the shaft 29 and has a dog or pin 48 slidably mounted therein and normally moved by a spring 49 within the sccentric into a pocket or recess 50 in a collar 51'secured to the shaft 29 adjacent'the eccentric. This pin 48 is adaptedto be moved out or held out of register with the recess 50, bya block 52 slidably mounted within a bracket 52 secured to the frame of. the machine and having a cam face 53 "engaging against a cam face 54 at one end of a recess 55 in the pin 48. The block 52 is normally moved upwardly in the bracket 52' by a spring 56 secured at one end to said bracket and at the other to the lower end of the block 52. The construction above described is commonly known as a pin clutch and the block 52; normally moved upwardly by the spring 56 causes the pin 48 to be held out of engagement with the recess 50 in the driven into the book upon the table by the p collar 51 and against the action of the spring 49 by the engagement of the cam face .53

on the block with the cam face 54 on the 48 moves said pin out of engagement with the collar. The eccentric 28 is normally held in, out of driving relation with the shaft 29, by the pin clutch above described.

The means controlled by the dog for controlling the operation of the pin clutch, above described, consists of a control bar 57 disposed and movable within the slot 47 and secured to crank arms .58 carried by a rock shaft 59 journ-aled in brackets 60 upon the table supports 61 and carrying a crank 61 which is pivotally connected to one end of a link 62 ivotally connected at its other end to one en of a bell crank lever 63 pivotally mounted on a shaft 64 secured to the frame of the machine, the other end of said lever 63 carrying a cam roller 65 held against a cam 66 on the shaft 29 by a spring 67. The end of the lever 63 carrying the roller 65 also has an extension 68 in which a screw or tappet finger 69 is adjustably mounted, said fin er adapted under certain conditions hereina ter described to strike a tappet member 70 mounted upon a shaft 71 journaled in the machine frame and carrying a finger .72 adapted to move a pin 73 secured to the block 52. .The lower end of the dog 46 is normally disposed within slot 47 between the bar 57 and one side of the slot and thus holds the bar against movement. The cam 66 is provided with a depression 74 into which the roller 65 drops on every revolution of the shaft 29 when the books are being presented to the stitchers and when said roller moves in said depression the screw 69 strikes the member 70 rocking the shaft 71 and consequently swinging the finger 72 down and moving the in 73 downwardly and consequently movlng the block 52 downwardly to permit the pin 48 to engage the collar 51 and thus connect the eccentric 28 in driving relation with the shaft 29 which as previously described causes the operation of the stitcher mechanism in the stitcher head. This action is permitted when the dog 46 is lifted out of the slot 47 by the book passing along the table 11 as shown in Fig. 1 for under that condition the control bar 57 is free to move within the slot. If for any reason no book should be presented to the first stitcher the lower end of the dog 46 will remain in the slot and thus' prevent the swinging of the control bar 57 which through the connection previously described holds the bell crank lever 63 against movement and thus revents the roller65 from dropping into t e depression 74 in the cam 66 and consequently prevents the rocking of the shaft 71 to release the block 52 and thus the pin 48 is revented from moving into the collar 51 s0 tliat the operation of the mechanism in the stitcher head is prevented.

With this construction the stitchers 7 are moved along the slots in the bars 13, 18 and 20 so as to space said stitchers the desired distance apart dependent upon the length of the book to be bound. The clencher mechanisms are also moved along the slots in the table so as to be disposed in line with the stitcher head. The hand wheel 36 is then turned which through the connections previously described raises or lowers the bars 18 and 20 to set the feed control member and staple former and driver of the stitcher to accommodate for the thickness of book to be bound. The machine is now ready for operation and during its operation the books on the table 11 are intermittently fed past the stitchers and stapled, the mechanism previously described operating the parts of the stitchers. As the books successively move along the table they move the dog 46 out of the slot 47 which as previously described permits operation of the stitcher but when no book is passing along the table the dog will remain in said slot and thereby prevent operation of the staple forming and driving mechanism in the manner previously described.

The bar 15 has a plurality of raduations or lines 15' marked thereon, see Tig. 3, and the table 11 has a corresponding set of lines 12 marked thereon so that the stitchers 7 may be quickly lined up with their 006perative clenchers 10 by setting each of these elements upon alined lines in the bar and the table.

The means for holding the signatures upon the table 11 during the stitching operation consists of a clamping plate 75 and means for operating and controlling the operation of said plate. The clamping plate 75 is provided with an inverted V-shaped groove 7 6' to coiiperate with the saddle table and with guide slots 76 and 77. The means for operating and controlling the movement of the plate 75 consists of a plate 78 and connections between it and the plate 75. The plate 78 is provided with guide slots 79 and lugs 80 and 81. The plates 75 and 78 are operatively connected to the stitcher by means of screws 82 which pass through the slots 76 and 79 and are secured to the stitcher. The lug 80 on the plate 78 fits into the groove 17 on the bar 18 and provides for moving said plate on the reciprocation of the bar 18 which operates the staple former and driver. The plate 78 is connected to the plate 75 by means of a spring 82' secured at one end to the lug 81 and at the other end to a lug 83 on the plate 75 and by means of a pin 84 on the plate 78 passing through the slot 77 in the plate 75. The pin and slot connection provides for independent movement of the plate 75 with respect to the plate 78. With this construction when the bar 18 is at its highest point then the plate 75 is oil the book on the table and when the bar 18 moves downward then plate 78 is moved downward carrying plate 75 with it and the plate 75 strikes the book before the former and driver of the stitcher; The downward movement of the plate 7 5 clamps the book upon the saddle and centers the back of the book in the center of the saddle. Then the plate 75 remains at rest and the plate 78 keeps going down with the staple former and driver to the limit of its stroke thereby extending the spring 82' and moving the pin 84 downwardly in the slot 77 and as thebar 18 returns the plate 75 stays down until the pin 82 moves to the upper portion oftheslot7 7 and lifts the plate 75 on the further upward movement of the plate 78. If desired the plates 7 '5 and 78may be fastened together in which case the plate 75 would travel with 'the former and driver of the stitcher.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a book-stitching machine, the combination with the frame and a stitcher carried by the frame, of a table for carrying 1 groups of signatures and provided with a slot, a movable control dog depending into said slot and adapted to be operated out of said slot by the groups of signatures passing along the table beneath the stitcher, control means having a part also movable within said slot, and mechanism for operating the stitcher dependent upon the movement of said control means, the movement of said control means being prevented when saiddog is within the, slot and beingpermitted when a' group of signatures is presented to the stitcher and the dog israised out of the slot.

2. In a book-stitching machine, the combination with theframe and a stitcher carried by the frame, of a table for carrying groups of signatures and provided with a slot, a control member normally depending into said slot and adapted to be raised by a group of signatures passing along the table into position to be bound, control means including a control bar also movable within the table, and mechanism for operating the stitcher dependent upon the movement of said control bar, the movement of said control bar being prevented when said control member is within the slot and being permitted when a group of signatures is presented to the stitcher and the control member is raised out of the slot.

3. In a book-stitching machine, thecombination with the feed control member and staple former and driver of a stitcher, of means for settingthe stitcher for use on books of difierent thicknesses comprising an eccentric shaft, a member journaled ,on said shaft and adjustable with respect thereto and carrying crank arms, a shaft carried by said.

arms, a lever secured to said shaft and oper-' ativelyconnected to the staple former and driver, crank arms loosely mounted on said last named shaft, and alever connected to f said loosely mounted crank arms and operemma atively connected% the feed control memr. 4. In a book stitching machine, the combination with the stitcher and a signature support, of stitcher operating mechanism, a

drive shaft, a clutch for relatively connecting and disconnecting said operating mechanism and said drive shaft, means for controlling said clutch including a member movable in the signature support, and means for preventing actuation of said member when no book is presented to the stitcher. v

5. In a book-stitching machine, the combination with the staple former and driver of a stitcher, of means for producing a substantially straight line reciprocation of the same comprising a shaft mounted to swing in a short are, a lever secure-d intermediate its ends to said shaft and pivotally connected at one of its ends to the staple former and driver, and means for oscillating said lever and swinging the shaft upon which it is mounted comprisin a crank pivotally secured to the other en of said lever, and

a rock shaft, to which said crank is secured,

disposed between said swinging shaftand the end of the lever to which said crank is secured.

6. In a book-stitching-machine, the combination with the frame, of a plurality of stitchers arranged in tandem, means for adjustably securing the stitchers to the frame to permit spacing the stitchers at varying distances apart, a table for carrying the groups of signatures and provided with a slot, a control dog carried.- by the advance stitcher and depending into said slot and whose movement out of the slot is caused by the groups of signatures passing along the table beneath the stitchers, a single con-- V bination with the stitcher and a signature table, of stitcher operating mechanism, a drive shaft, a clutch for relatively connecting and disconnecting said operating ,mechanism and said'drive shaft, means includ:

'ing a cam-operated lever for operating said clutch, a control member mounted in the signature-table and 'actuated' by said lever,

and a movable stop disposed adjacent the signature support andinormally preventing actuation of said lever. by preventing actua tion =of said control member, said stop be-fl ing moved by the signatures, passing along the table, out of engagement with said control member to permit operation of the stitchers.

8. In a book-stitching machine, the combination'with the stitcher and a signature table, of stitcher operating mechanism, a drive shaft, a pin clutch for connecting and disconnecting said operating mechanism with said drive shaft, means including a cam-controlled tappet lever for releaslng said clutch, a control member actuated by said lever, and a movable stop dis osed adjacent the signature support and in the path of the signatures moving along the same, said stop normally preventing actuation of the stitcher operating mechanism by engagement with said control member and permitting actuation when moved by the signatures out of engagement with said control member.

9. In a book stitching machine, the combination with the staple former and driver of the stitcher, of means including a reciproeating member for. operating said staple former and driver, a clamplng'and centering plate carried by the stitcher, and means also carried by the stitcher and connecting operatively connected to said member and movable therewith, said plate and member having relative movement with respect to each other whereby said plate will move down and hold the book prior to and during the operation of the staple former and driver.

11. In a book-stitching machine, the combination, with the feed control member and staple former and driver of the stitcher, of means for setting the stitcher for use on books of difierent thicknesses including an adjustable eccentric rock-shaft for shifting the bearings of the reciprocating levers of the stitchers.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

MARTIN CHRISTENSEN. 

